Fire in the belly: Josh Reynolds was disappointed with the outcry after the first Origin match. Photo: Getty Images

Even before the matter went to the judiciary, Tate said "I've never been more frightened in all my life" and that he feared he would end up in a "hospital bed", in a reference to Newcastle forward Alex McKinnon's broken neck.

In his first interview since the hearing, Reynolds said he was disappointed with the North Queensland veteran's comments given there was no malice in the tackle.

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"I was a bit disappointed in the fact I believe what happens on the field stays on the field," Reynolds said.

"If he's come out and said something, so be it – he can do what he wants. I definitely wouldn't do that, but each to their own."

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From the moment he left Rugby League Central with a downgraded charge, Queensland officials and identities have claimed there was a conspiracy and that the NRL's crackdown on lifting tackles does not apply equally to Origin.

Last week, the tough pivot woke up to a headline in a Queensland newspaper that read: "Josh Reynolds the New South Wales State of Origin 'grub' Queensland must squash."

That was before the Tate incident. The vitriol has gone to another level since, with Reynolds now challenging Paul Gallen for the mantle of public enemy No.1 in the northern state.

"There has been some great stuff, some great ammunition for me, some drive for the next couple of weeks," Reynolds said.

"It's not going to get to me as long as the people [that] matter around me know what's going on.

"I'll let my actions do the talking ... It definitely adds a bit of fire to the belly."

Reynolds, who has not spoken to Tate since the incident, said he and fellow tackler Beau Scott did not intend to put Tate in a dangerous position.

"Brent was running at me and I sort of got under him and got him in an upward motion," he said.

"Before I knew it, he was on top of me. Beauy had him on top. It's one of those things that happens in nearly every game. This one looked a bit spectacular because it got him pretty high.

"I never mean to do that to anyone – it's just one of those things."

Reynolds' father, Robbie, was horrified that McKinnon's name was dragged into the debate.

"Bringing up Alex McKinnon, that was disgraceful," he said.

"The McKinnons are still going through a lot of pain and to be rehashing that, bringing his name into it every time there's a bad tackle, I feel sorry for his family."

Reynolds was flanked by Canterbury staff including chief executive Raelene Castle, coach Des Hasler, football manager Alan Thompson and media manager David Spaul during the hearing.

"I couldn't praise them more," he said. "As soon as it happened ... Des was onto it and I got a call for Alan Thompson telling me he'd looked into it with a barrister in an hour. That's the kind of club they are, they back their players. To have that support behind me, it's a pretty good feeling."

Asked how he would have felt had a suspension sidelined him for Origin II, he said: "The best way to put it is it would have shattered a dream. It's not too often that a team has won up at Suncorp and come back to Sydney to try to take the [series] win. It would have really, really rattled me. But I'm not thinking about that now because I got off and I thought I should have.